


Family

by KZelda, neonkorok



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Angst, Bonding, Fluff, Humor, Injury, Other, Pep Talk, Wild being Wild, falling, this was so much fun to write
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-03-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:08:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23240731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KZelda/pseuds/KZelda, https://archiveofourown.org/users/neonkorok/pseuds/neonkorok
Summary: He punched Twilight lightly on the arm. “We’re family, you know.” he said. “Family can never be broken apart. Not by anything. Not ever.”Twilight smiled back at him.“Family.” he said. A promise.“Family.” Wild echoed.Family. Twilight thought he could manage that.
Relationships: Twilight & Wild (Linked Universe)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 279





	Family

**Author's Note:**

  * For [McTimeWithAutomail](https://archiveofourown.org/users/McTimeWithAutomail/gifts).



> A prompt from [Automail_freak_alchemy_freak](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Automail_freak_and_alchemy_freak/pseuds/Automail_freak_and_alchemy_freak) as their prompt was Twilight and Wild bonding while Wild was injured. It was part of the LU Discord server birthday. I hope you like it!

Castle Town was a bustling city, full of life and the constant chatter of those who inhabited it. Countless civilians and merchants were filling the air with idle conversation, business propositions, laughter, and small talk. Twilight was glad to be one of them.

As much as he was a country boy at heart, Twilight couldn’t deny the appeal of city life. There was a certain comfort to the anonymity such a large crowd of strangers could afford one. In Ordon, everyone knew everyone, and there wasn’t a soul who didn’t recognize Twilight as a hero who had saved not only the kingdom as a whole, but every individual villager at least once in their life. In the city, Twilight was just another face passing by.

Of course, with eight very clearly armed companions, he drew a bit more attention as he passed through the streets than he would like. Not to mention the royal guards posted around that always greeted him with a jovial wave or a tip of the helmet in his direction. Both factors made it a bit more difficult to stay under the radar, but it was nothing he couldn’t handle. He was, in a way, used to a life of fame. Catching strangers staring at him on the streets was still a welcome reprieve from open idolization.

But what made him feel increasingly welcome in this town were the children that stopped to say hello or wave with a smile on their faces. Twilight adored children and the village children back in Ordon made that clear.  _ That’s probably why he saw so much of Colin within Wind.  _ He told the others to stop at the fountain for now to figure out their next course of action. Whether it be stocking up on items or simply relaxing for a little bit. However, Twilight had the strange feeling of being watched as the hair upon the nape of his neck stood straight up. He glanced back, finding nothing there but two guards upon the terrace.  _ Odd,  _ He thought. His instincts knew better but he chose not to think too heavily upon it. 

However, a hooded figure stood within the shadows and snapped their fingers towards the nearest guard and pointed to the hero with the black pelt. 

“Have him brought to the castle immediately,” They quietly said. “I’ve got immediate business to attend to with them.”

The guard simply nodded and trotted down the terrace to the ground area down below.

“Excuse me.” the guard said, drawing the group’s attention as they approached. “Your presence has been requested at the castle. I can escort you there, if you please.”

It wasn’t a suggestion, Twilight knew, but he nodded all the same.

“Please, lead the way.” he acquiesced, though he knew the way to the palace like the back of his hand. “It’s very kind of you to offer us an escort.” Like the guard had any choice in the matter themself.

“Of course.”

Wind snickered behind Twilight’s back. “Look at the country boy acting all prim and proper. He’s like a whole different person.”

Legend laughed along. “Yeah, it’s kinda weird. I didn’t know he had any manners hidden underneath all that fur.”

Twilight, ever the gentleman, flipped them off over his shoulder.

“Nope, he’s still got it.” Wind said, and Twilight could hear the shit-eating grin in his voice. “He couldn’t be classy if he tried. Not really, anyway.”

“Oh, lay off him.” Time chided. “He’s not just going to cuss out the guard who was kind enough to bring us to the castle.”

“Kind enough?” Legend asked, incredulous. “More like they just don’t want us to wreak havoc all over town if we’re left to our own devices. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t trust nine strange men running around my town with swords on their backs.”

“Fair enough.” Time conceded.

They followed Twilight closely. He kept his head held high yet deep down his gut was telling him otherwise. His presence wasn’t typically requested at the castle whenever they switched to his Hyrule. So, this time around was causing his anxiety to skyrocket. He  _ knows  _ he didn’t do anything wrong, at least that he knows of. 

“My, my, would you look at that,” A guard on the bridge remarked. “The princess’ guard dog is back in town.” 

_ Don’t.  _ His conscience warned him.  _ Don’t let them get to you, no good will come of it.  _

So, he simply ignored him letting said comment roll right off his back.  _ He has heard worse after all.  _ The main gates came into view and two more guards opened them, the large and heavy oak doors slowly creaking open. The eight other heroes' jaws dropped upon seeing the courtyard. In the center was a towering steel structure of a double helix with a massive Triforce on both sides as the crowing piece. There were three paths, one lead to the left, another to the right and the third to the main castle entrance. The others gawked in awe as the sheer size of the castle, the blue shingled roofing matching the pure white stone that stood as the base. 

“This is huge!” Wild gasped as he glanced around. “This is bigger than the castle in my Hyrule.”

Twilight chuckled, ignoring for the time being their escort’s confused expression. “Yeah, it’s pretty big. I’m not too well-versed on architecture, but I’m pretty sure this is some kind of marvel of the field.”

“Absolutely.” Wild’s fingers twitched at his side, and Twilight knew that he was itching to take pictures of the castle to show to his Zelda. Twilight smiled. Maybe he would give him a tour later, let him take all the pictures he wanted. He thought Wild would like that.

The guard cleared their throat, stopping any further discussion. They gestured towards the main entrance of the castle. “If you all wouldn’t mind, I’m sure we wouldn’t want to keep her Highness waiting.”

“Of course.” Twilight agreed. “Enough goggling, everyone. We’ve still got a ways to go until we reach the throne room. Let’s get a move on.”

“Lead the way, my good sir.” Warriors said, sarcasm heavy in his voice. He even did a little bow for effect.

Twilight shot a glare back at the captain over his shoulder, the motioned for them to follow. 

Upon stepping into the palace, it felt… odd to be back here. The last time he was here was to defeat Ganondorf and save Hyrule. The throne room was at the very top of the structure, which was a long trek up. Really though, did any of them have any room to talk about walking anywhere for so long? 

“Should I lead you the rest of the way?” The guard asked, as he motioned towards the main hall. 

“No, we’ll be fine.” The hero responded as he waved him off. “I know where her highness always is. We don’t want to keep her waiting.” 

Legend raised a brow at Twilight.  _ Cocky son of a bitch.  _ He simply rolled his eyes and continued on. The upside of this goddess-awful walk? The Links got somewhat of a tour of this place. They knew that each castle was different in terms of layout and interior. But this castle was a damn labyrinth, gorgeous sure but confusing all the same. The nine of them took a right and headed down the corridor. A rich blue carpet stretched along the marbled floor, complementing the murky marbled white walls. Pictures and portraits of Hyrule’s past hung along the walls and each hero captured a glimpse of the history of Twilight’s Hyrule. 

They questioned what Twilight actually went through on his adventure, but never bothered to bring it up. 

The heroes passed through a doorway and thus were brought outside. A bright blue sky dotted with fluffy white clouds with the sun shining down upon them welcomed them, as the air was warm but not too hot. The other doorway was not too far and Twilight wanted to keep going. His mind drifted to the countless questions of what his Zelda was going to ask, or rather what she wanted him for. 

Wild stopped along the side to peer down below. Damn were they so high up! He was itching to climb the rest of the castle walls and to hop onto each spire to see the possible incredible views of the land. Twilight’s Hyrule was massive and beautiful as it had a variety of flora and fauna to offer. 

“Come on, where almost there.” He urged on, motioning them along a sense of urgency in his tone.

“Give us a break Twilight,” The captain retorted. “We’ve never seen your Hyrule’s castle this close before. Let us take in the views.”

The ranch hand stopped and sharply turned. 

“You can do that when we’re done.” He snapped, eyes flashing gold. His rare patience showed clear as day. “When it comes to the princess, you don’t want to keep her waiting.” 

Wild gave a sigh. Yep, he was right. The champion knew that from experience. 

And so they continued on, taking the doorway that led to another corridor in which that led to three sets of stairs. Twilight vividly remembers them being destroyed during his travels as he had to ride the spinner up along the walls to make it to the top. He would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy that as the spinner was fun as hell. The old man hunched over breathing heavily as they reached the top of the final set of stairs. 

“I’ve never… seen so many stairs… in my life,” Time heaved. “Never… again.” 

“Oh please, it’s not that bad.” Twilight chuckled. But the glare that Time shot to his protege wasn’t pretty. He swallowed down the lump that suddenly formed in his throat. “We’re almost there. Just another door and one more set of stairs.”

_ Oh for Farore’s sake!  _

Once they finally reached their destination, everyone but Twilight was doubled over, hands on their knees as they gasped for air. Twilight snorted at the sight.  _ Weaklings. _ He could make this trek in his sleep.

“Alright, now we just head through here—” he paused for a moment, a prank suddenly forming in his mind. He had to stifle a mischievous smile, clearing his throat before he continued, “And then we climb up just another two staircases and head down a large ramp through a secret passageway towards Zelda’s quarters.”

“Excuse me.” Legend panted. “What the  _ fuck,  _ Twilight. You expect us to take even  _ more _ stairs?”

Twilight nodded, an expression of fake surprise spreading along his features even as laughter bubbled up inside his lungs. “But of course. We can’t have the trip to her Highness’s rooms be easy! What if an assassin tried to sneak in? If we make it a walk in the park, the princess’s head is on the floor in under an hour. No, no, a little leg workout is much less important than the princess’s life.”

The others stared at him in disbelief, and a smirk flitted across his face before he could smother it.

“You little punk.” Time grunted, walking over to slap Twilight on the back  _ hard. _ “Had your fun, huh?”

Twilight laughed. “Oh, come on. Can you blame me?”

“Yes.” Time deadpanned. “Yes I can.”

Twilight tried not to wither under that scathing remark, his smile becoming decidedly more frozen in place. He coughed and shifted his weight between his legs. “Well, I suppose we should head inside now.”

“I suppose we shall.” Time drawled, and the group made their way towards the throne room doors. A set of waiting guards hurried over to pry the doors open, and Twilight felt his smile fall entirely as the room came into view. This was not a place with good memories.

He tried not to let his hesitation show as he marched ahead of the group towards the throne, head held high and posture stiff as he walked. He sank into a bow before the princess, seeing the others (thankfully) following his lead in his peripherals.

Zelda laughed airily from above them. “You may rise. We have no need for formalities here.”

Twilight smiled as he rose back to his feet. Zelda was smiling right back.

“Hello, your Highness.” he greeted. “It’s been a while.”

“So it has.” Zelda shifted so her head was resting on one fist, the rapier at her side on full display. “I’m so glad you could make it.”

“Like I could deny a summons from the princess herself.”

Zelda rolled her eyes, not deigning that with a verbal response.

“Now what could be the reason for this summon?” He asked with a slight smirk on his face. “There shouldn’t be any trouble in the kingdom as far as I’m aware.”

“No, no, there is none of that.” She waved him off but glanced at the eight others that stood behind them. “And who might they be?” 

_ Right.  _

Twilight cleared his throat and backed off to the side so that the rest were on clear display. “These are the men that I’ve been traveling with for awhile now.” He started from Time. “This is Time, then Warriors, Sky, Four, Wild, Four, Wind, and Legend.” They all gave a respective bow. 

Sky, however, gazed on in wonder at the princess. So this was one of his Zelda’s descendants, she was rather gorgeous and thought that she was the definition of a princess. 

“It’s a pleasure,” Zelda smiled in response. Then she set her eyes onto Twilight. “I would like to speak with you alone.” 

He was surprised to say the least. Then his gaze shifted onto the other eight and nodded motioning for them to go. 

“I shouldn’t be long.” He said. 

“We’ll be right outside,” Time softly said with a small smile. 

So they turned and made the walk out. However, Legend glanced back at Zelda with a slight scowl on his face. The aura around her was something he wasn’t too fond of.  _ She-devil.  _

The moment the doors closed behind them Legend cried,

“You have got to be kidding me!” He threw his hands up. “That whole walk up here to meet the princess only to turn right back around and walk out. Unbelievable!”

“Legend please,” Sky soothed. “She-”

“Yeah, Yeah I know,” The shorter hero huffed. He plopped down onto the ground and leaned against the wall. 

“Quit being a baby,” The captain kicked legend in the shin. “That will get you nowhere.”

“Piss off.” And he flipped Warriors the finger.

Wild rolled his eyes. “So, while you’re doing that I’m going to head out and explore the castle grounds.” 

“Oh no you don’t!” Time advised. “You aren’t going anywhere!”

“Like you can stop me.”

With that he hurdled over the stone wall to a balcony down below. The shit-eating grin on his face made Time mutter not so quite nice things under his breath. 

Wild sighed down below, relieved to be alone. As much as he enjoyed the others’ company, they could be a little suffocating sometimes. Add that to a whole city full of more strangers in one place than Wild can remember seeing in his whole life, and he was more than a little overwhelmed. At least the castle wasn’t quite so crowded.

He looked around the balcony for a way back inside, not keen on being followed by any of the others with the means to reach him down there. His gaze caught on one of the many turrets surrounding the perimeter of the castle grounds.

He smirked. The others might start looking for him, but he doubted he would be found if he climbed to the top of one of those towers. He could also probably get a nice angle for some photos of the castle if he picked the right place to make his perch. It was a foolproof plan.

He snuck inside, careful to avoid as many guards as he could in case the others asked around for who had seen him, and slowly but surely made his way towards the edge of the palace where he could begin his ascent.

Meanwhile, back in the throne room, Princess Zelda had moved from her throne and was leading Twilight into a side room with a table and chairs more suited for casual discussion. Twilight still didn’t quite trust the situation, but found himself at least a little more at ease away from the room where both he and the princess had nearly died so long ago.

“So what did you want to discuss with me, princess?” Twilight asked, taking a seat with a large window to his back, the sunlight filtering in through the glass illuminating the room with an almost ethereal glow.

Zelda laughed, sitting across from him at the small table. An empty teapot sat between them, and Twilight found himself wishing he had a fresh cup if only to give his hands something to do. “What, I can’t just check in on my favorite hero?”

Twilight raised a skeptical eyebrow at her. “In our positions? Not really.”

Zelda waved him off with a gloved hand. “Must everything revolve around the end of the world with you? I swear, it’s like you don’t know how to unwind at all.”

Twilight huffed, and Zelda straightened in her seat, becoming more serious.

“I really do just want to chat with you, Link. It’s been a long time since we last spoke, and I wanted to make sure you were doing alright, especially after you disappeared for so long.”

The open concern on her face made Twilight uncomfortable, so he smirked in a false show of bravado. “Worried about me, your Highness?”

“Yes.” She said simply. Twilight averted his gaze, his facade melting away as he shrunk in on himself.

“I live a dangerous life, your Highness.” He sighed. “If you’re worried about me disappearing for just a few months, I hate to see how you’d fare if I didn’t come back for a year.”

“Is that a possibility I should be prepared for?”

Twilight shrugged. “It might.”

Now it was Zelda’s turn to sigh. “Look, Twilight. I’m not asking for much here. I just…I want to know where you’ve been, what’s going on with you. I’ve never seen nor heard of any of those men you were travelling with, though I would certainly hesitate to call a few of them men with how young they look.” She took a deep breath. “Just tell me what you’ve been doing these past few months you’ve been away. That’s all I want to know.”

He took a deep breath then locked eyes with Zelda’s. Those blue-gray eyes of hers were always so soft and gentle. He trusted her just as much as she trusted him. 

“We were all brought together by some dark force,” He began. “We’re not sure who brought us together but we’ve been trying to figure things out. I’ve been to times that I shouldn’t even see, Hyrules from the past and future, and… eras of peace that I didn’t even know existed.” 

He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. 

“And those men, they’re…” He struggled to get the words out as he tried not to make this sound like a fairytale. “They’re past incarnations of myself.” 

Zelda froze in place, the expression on her face contorted into one of bemusement. He had to be joking right? There is no way that was possible. 

“Link, please,” She begged, gathering his hands into hers. “Please tell me you’re joking. Do you even trust these men at all?” 

He shook his head. “I’m afraid not.” Another deep breath so that he could continue. “We’re all somehow descended from each other and one of those men started the very foundation of Hyrule itself.” He hesitated to answer her second question not really wanting to speak the truth. “So without him, you and I wouldn’t exist. There are so many timelines that interact and intersect with each other that none of us understand it.”

Twilight ran his fingers through his hair, gripping the strands in frustration. That caused Zelda to get a glimpse of the markings on his forehead. 

“What is that?” She asked, pointing to said markings. “Please tell me you didn’t keep the shadow crystal!”

He sheepishly shrunk down in his seat averting her gaze.  _ Fuck, that was one thing he was trying to avoid.  _ Well, the cat is out of the bag now, might as well.

“I did,” He spoke as quickly as he could so that Zelda couldn’t get in another word. “And the result were these markings from using it too much.”

“Link! You knew of the-” She interrupted, anger slowly creeping into her eyes.

“Zelda please!” Twilight added, begging for her to listen. “You don’t understand just how much this crystal has helped me!”

Zelda closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath to reign in her temper. “Link,” she said slowly, “We have no idea what dangers that crystal may pose to you. For all you know, it could be poisoning you! The magic used to infect you in the first place was used with malicious intent, who’s to say that some of that intent doesn’t yet linger within the crystal?”

“I just have to trust that it doesn’t.” When Zelda’s eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth to respond, Twilight hurried to continue. “And I haven’t experienced any kind of side effects from the crystal! A little soreness from the shifting of my bone structure is the worst I get, and that’s only if I transform too quickly or I stay as a wolf for too long at a time. Trust me, princess, you have nothing to worry about.”

Zelda glared at him for a few moments, then dropped her gaze. She pulled her hands back to set on her lap, curling them into tight fists.

“I worry for you, Link.” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Don’t.” Twilight pleaded.

“It’s not quite so simple.”

Twilight knew that, he  _ did, _ but he also knew that he didn’t want Zelda to worry over his safety when he knew there was nothing she could do to protect him. She just needed to have faith that he would be okay after all was said and done. Though, he supposed, telling her that likely wouldn’t go over very well.

Just as he was about to speak again, his ears twitched as the sound of hurried footsteps approached the throne room. He stood as they grew closer, the door to their small chamber flying open as a guard stumbled into the room.

“What is the meaning of this?” Zelda asked, rising to her feet as well, hand on the hilt of her sword.

“His companion.” the guard panted out. “He…he’s been injured.”

A feeling of dread washed over Twilight as a thousand different possibilities ran through his mind. None of them were good.

“Which one?” Twilight asked, rounding the table in one fluid motion.

“He…he was wearing a blue tunic.” The guard straightened up, breath still coming in small bursts but no longer positioned so he was speaking to the ground. “Long hair—”

“Wild.” Twilight realized. “Where is he? What happened?”

The guard pointed vaguely out the window. “Fell. Off a turret. Last I saw, he wasn’t breathing.”

The dread turned into full-bodied fear and Twilight wasted no more time listening to the guard’s words. He sprinted out of the room, paying no heed to the shouts that followed him. He didn’t quite know where he was going, but he knew he had to get there fast.

_ Wild wasn’t breathing. _

That could mean many things, he tried to rationalize as he took the stairs three at a time. (He wondered if he could get down faster if he transformed into a wolf, but decided the transformation itself would waste too much time.) It could mean he’d nearly drowned and hadn’t yet been resuscitated. It could mean he’d received a chest injury, or even just had the breath knocked out of him. Or…

Or it could mean that he was dead.

Tears burned in Twilight’s eyes, and he prayed that they would remain unshed. Now was not the time for sorrow. Now was the time to simply get to where Wild was and make sure that he was alright.

He reached the bottom of the first staircase and hurried down the hallway towards the next. This was taking far too long. But if the journey was so slow-going for him, how much longer must it have taken for the guard to make it in reverse? Just how long had Wild been in his current condition?

He forced himself to run faster. Wild’s life, quite likely, depended on it.

~~

Moments before, Wild was climbing upon a southern tower spire, the blue shingled roof clicking and clacking underneath every foot fall. The wind whipped his hair around and nearly threw him off kilter. He slipped a couple times but caught himself. He climbed this height before and even higher. So was he scared of being this high up? Not in the slightest. 

Wild jumped and caught the spire at the last moment. He positioned himself correctly and spun around as he took in the view. Goddesses was Twilight’s Hyrule gorgeous! He could see Death Mountain which was roaring with its shades of reds, oranges, and yellows and in the distance what appeared to be a desert. He couldn’t tell as what he assumed were heat waves distorting the area beyond recognition. 

The champion grabbed his slate and took several pictures of the view.  _ This will definitely impress Zelda,  _ He thought. He flipped the camera around to get a picture of himself, holding two fingers up with a broad smile. 

With that in mind, he began his descent down being careful with every step and every grip.

However, the moment he was halfway down the roof a shingle gave way and he slipped, losing his grip and his footing entirely.  _ Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!  _ On top of that, the sheikah slate went flying out of his grasp and flew off to Din knows where.

“No!” He screamed but reaching for it was in vain. 

He tried to find anything to grab onto the stone walls, thin branches, anything to break his fall. But the ground came closer and closer and closer until-

_ BAM! _

Wild’s back smacked the ground hard enough to almost leave an indent in the grass. He gasped for breath, coughing and sputtering trying to get any oxygen in his lungs. Then came the pain. The searing hot pain that erupted every time he drew breath, his chest stung and burned and it felt like he was on fire. 

With every breath and every gasp his vision darkened around the corners as his body spazzed. He couldn’t move feeling like he was glued to the ground. 

Then, everything went black with one last breath.

~~

As soon as Twilight stepped foot outside, he could hear a clamor coming from the base of one of the turrets, and he raced towards the commotion. As he neared, voices grew louder, and he was able to make out a ring of soldiers all dressed in the plain tunics and basic armor of new recruits to the army. There, laying in the center of the loose circle, was Wild.

Twilight shoved the recruits aside to reach his mentee, falling to his knees as soon as he was at Wild’s side. The first thing he did was check to see if Wild’s heart was beating. He leaned his head down so it was pressed against Wild’s chest and he held his breath to listen for a pulse. Sure enough, he heard the unsteady sound of Wild’s heart pushing blood through his veins, and a sigh of relief escaped him. He could hear Wild taking in raspy breaths as he pulled away, alleviating even more of his concerns. He was alive.

_ He was alive. _

If Twilight was made of ice, he would have melted into a puddle at that moment from the sheer amount of relief he felt coursing warm and fast through his body. He finally drew back his focus enough to notice a recruit—no, the captain of the guard himself—hovering nearby. He lifted his gaze to the man, who saluted once he realized he had Twilight’s full attention.

“What happened here, captain?” Twilight asked, attempting to keep his voice steady, but the tears from before were returning with a passion and it was all he could do not to start sobbing in the middle of the training grounds.

The captain cleared his throat, slowly lowering his hand to stand at parade rest. “Sir, this young man fell from the top of the turret just a few minutes ago. It appeared that he had climbed to the top of the structure, as a few of my men had noticed him scaling the tower during the middle of our training. We were all watching as he lost his footing and fell from the roof of the turret right before our eyes. There was little we could do to aid him, so I sent off a few soldiers to find both you and a doctor.”

Twilight took a deep breath in through his nose. As much as he wanted to yell at the man for not doing more to protect Wild, he knew that it wouldn’t be rational. He’d done all he could, even if it meant just running to find someone more suited to attend to the situation at hand. At least he hadn’t attempted to treat Wild himself. The man, while an excellent captain, did not exactly have the most gentle touch, and if Wild was having difficulty breathing, there was no telling what attempting to move him might do. Therefore, Twilight should not be mad at him.

Yet he was.

He let the breath out slowly, turning his gaze back to Wild. He felt his anger flare up once more. Just what was Wild  _ thinking _ climbing up to the top of a turret with seemingly nobody there to watch him? He was lucky to still be  _ alive _ after such a long fall. Twilight eyed the top of the turret towering over them, but quickly looked away. He couldn’t think about Wild falling from such a height. Not right now. Maybe not ever.

He took another breath, then stood.

“Clear your men out of here.” he commanded the captain. “They’ll be nothing but a distraction for the medics once they arrive. I’ll be in the hospital wing making sure that they’re prepared to treat him once he comes in.” What Twilight didn’t say was that he couldn’t stand to just sit there and watch as Wild struggled to take in just one more breath before him, couldn’t stand not to be able to do anything to help.

The captain nodded, and Twilight knew that he understood. He barked out an order to his troops, who reluctantly dispersed, whispering among themselves. As Twilight turned to head back inside the castle, the captain stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

“He’ll be alright.” he assured Twilight. Twilight bit back a scathing remark that he couldn’t  _ possibly  _ know that and nodded.

“He will.” Twilight replied, not an empty assurance but a  _ promise. _ Wild  _ would _ be alright, or Twilight would die trying to make him better.

The captain sighed, patting his shoulder once before letting him go. Twilight hesitated for a moment, glancing back at Wild, before hurrying back towards the castle to go find the hospital wing and make himself useful.

Just as he stepped into the foyer of the main entrance, Zelda and the other eight heroes were there ready and waiting, all rushing towards him with questions of concern and worry and what had happened. But the moment he locked eyes with Zelda did he break down and collapse to his knees throwing his face into his hands. The tears fell like a sudden downpour of rain, running down his cheeks like raging rapids that did not seem to want to end. 

Zelda rushed forward and grabbed both of his shoulders giving gentle but reassuring squeezes. 

“I failed him,” He whispered. “I didn’t keep him in my sight and he fell. He fucking fell!” He screamed the last bit. Twilight rarely swore like that, only when visibly upset or pissed off. 

“Twilight,” Time gently began as he kneeled beside his protege. “What happened? Where is Wild?” 

“On his way to the infirmary. He fell from a turret. It’s my fault that he did, I wasn’t there to keep an eye on him and I-”

“Don’t. Don’t beat yourself up over this.” 

“I knew we shouldn’t have let him leave on his own.” Warriors mentioned. 

Twilight froze as he slowly lifted his head to meet the captain. 

“What do you mean by letting him leave on his own?!” He cried. “Where were you when this happened?!”

“Oh we were with him,” Legend added as he crossed his arms. “We tried to stop him but-”   
  
“By we you mean Time,” Four countered. 

_ Oh no.  _

“Why didn’t you get me? I-I… I could’ve-” He lost his train of thought. Twilight was angry, upset, and borderline livid with Wild. Words failed to come to him at this moment in time. 

“Let’s continue this later,” Zelda’s soft voice drifted in like a light pushing all the darkness away. “For now we need to get to the hospital wing.” 

Twilight let himself be picked up by the princess. His guard was let down entirely the walls had come crashing down like a dam and the emotions were the flood that swept everything away. 

“Please do follow us,” She said to the others. “But keep in mind that only two are allowed in the room at a time.” 

The walk there wasn’t that long. In fact, to Twilight it felt like a blur. A stressful surreal blur. The tears had long since stopped as all that remained were the tracks, and the expression on his face made him look lifeless. The state of Wild on the ground was embedded into his mind and it refused to let go. His crippled and still body was unnerving. He’s seen the champion in worse condition but for some reason this one takes the cake. That fall could’ve killed him had the ground been stone instead of grass. 

Upon reaching the wing, Zelda took Twilight inside having Time follow while the other six waited. She took the two men to room two reminding them to be quiet. 

Wild. Wild was on the bed, the duvet up to his chest as his golden locks were spread about the pillows. His breathing was shallow and raspy, one breath coming out almost every minute.  _ This was not like Wild at all.  _ Twilight took a seat next to the bed as Time stood against the wall. Zelda placed a reassuring hand upon her hero’s back idly rubbing small and soothing circles. 

“I can tell you deeply care for him,” She softly said, eyes never leaving Wild. “Almost like a son.”

“How can I not?” Twilight answered resting a cheek on a fist. “He’s my descendant after all.” 

Zelda’s hand paused for a moment before she continued to rub his back. It was more calming than Twilight would care to admit, and he felt as though he was returning more and more to himself with each circle she completed.

“I see.” she said after a few moments.

Silence reigned after that, the trio simply watching as Wild continued his struggle to breathe. After a few minutes, a doctor appeared, silently crossing the room to Wild’s bedside. Twilight’s hands clenched into fists as the doctor blocked his view of Wild, and he tried not to scream as whatever they were doing made Wild grunt in pain.

“Relax.” Zelda told him, more of an order than a suggestion. “She’s just making sure his bandages are properly applied.”

Twilight nodded, trying to relax his posture. It was hard. He still felt drained of all emotion, but he couldn’t help but feel a spark of irritation, barely even noticeable in his exhausted state of mind, but enough.

The doctor stood and turned to address the princess after a few more excruciating minutes. “I believe he will make a full recovery.” she announced, and Twilight felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. “He will need to rest for a few weeks, but so long as we monitor his condition, he should be allowed to return to his usual activities so long as he doesn’t strain himself.”

“Thank Hylia.” Zelda muttered, and Twilight resolutely ignored the flinch Time gave at the mention of the goddess. “Is there anything else we should know?”

The doctor looked back at Wild. “He is a very lucky young man. Any other Hylain might have died from such a fall. If I didn’t know better, I might say he’s been blessed by the goddesses.”

Twilight snorted, but quickly covered it up with a cough as the doctor sent him a withering glare.

“Now all that’s left is for him to wake up.” Time said. The doctor nodded, finally looking away from Twilight.

“He should be up soon. Make sure he doesn’t leave his bed before I come back to check on him. I have a few questions he needs to answer for me.” With nothing more than a final nod to the princess, the doctor left the room.

“What wonderful bedside manner she has.” Twilight commented. Zelda slapped him lightly on the back of his head.

“Be nice.” she chastised. Twilight stuck his tongue out at her.

“Children…” Time muttered.

“Shut it old man,” 

That resulted in another light slap to the head from Zelda. Silence settled upon the room as all eyes were on Wild. His chest slowly going up and down in a rhythm, his fingers often twitching with a groan or two slipping past his lips. 

_ He’s alive. That is all that matters.  _

“I will notify the others of your friend’s condition,” The princess quietly said as she left the room. “I have a feeling there is a talk that is brewing.”

“Thank you for everything, Zelda,” Twilight gave a fond expression. “How can I ever repay you?”

“Visit the castle more often when you’re home,” She gave a wink and left the room.

The moment the door closed with a soft  _ click  _ Twilight’s gaze set back up on to Wild, he took the champion’s hand and gently cradled it within his own giving a squeeze. He’s seen Wild fall before but not like this. This was different. 

“Twilight,” Time’s baritone voice broke through his thoughts. “Don’t beat yourself up over this.” He moved to kneel beside his protege placing a hand on his forearm and giving a squeeze. “Wild falling wasn’t your fault. How many times do I have to say this to get it through your head?”

“Once,” Twi muttered. “But I still can’t accept it.” 

“You can't be there for Wild every time he falls.” Time paused until Twilight turned to look at him. “You can't always be there, Twilight, and you can't blame yourself for everything that happens when you're not. You're both adults, you can each take care of yourself. Trust him a little, yeah?”

“Trust him?” Twilight asked, incredulous. “He just fell off of a roof!”

“Which I'm sure he won't do again now that he's learned his lesson.” Time raised his eyebrows significantly at Twilight, who looked away. “You have to give him some space to learn what's good for him and what's not. Don't smother him. It will just make things worse.”

“You say that as if you speak from experience.” Twilight muttered.

“I do.”

Time stood, moving to sit on the edge of Wild’s bed. He took Wild’s free hand in his own, gently running his thumb over Wild’s knuckles.

“Trust me, Twilight. The most you can do is trust in him and be there when he falters so that he can stand up again sooner after the fact.”

Twilight sighed. “I know. I just…I wish I could wrap him up in a blanket and hide him away from the world so he would be safe.”

“I know the feeling.” A sad little smile crossed over Time’s face. “Let him live a little on his own. He thrives off of independence. Don't take that away from him.”

“I won't.” He couldn't.

“You're a good man, Twilight.” Time’s smile turned a little more upbeat, almost proud. “I can tell you just want what's best for Wild. Believe me when I say that this is it.”

Twilight didn't respond to that, feeling that he'd said all he needed to, and Time grew silent as well. It was almost calm after that in the hospital room. Twilight found himself wishing this moment would last just a little bit longer. It had been far too long since he'd felt truly at peace.

~~

As the hours passed, Wild had still yet to wake up. Twilight stayed by his side as the seven others came and went. Each Link saw the anguish and hurt in his eyes. And for once, Legend actually showed compassion. He had grabbed the champion’s hand and ran his thumb over the knuckles. 

“You absolute idiot,” He muttered. “But I’m glad you’re okay.” 

The smile on Twilight’s face said it all. In a way he was grateful for Legend, he knew deep down he cared for Wild and at this moment in time it showed. 

The doctor had come into the room when Sky was sitting on the other side of the bed, his head bowed deeply, a prayer slipping past his lips. The doctor assessed her patient, taking care not to disturb him. He whimpered and moaned as her hands checked his bandages. Then she checked his head carefully, lifting it up and skimming her hand along the backside. 

_ Were his breathing issues not the only extent of his injuries?  _

Twilight’s gaze flicked between the doctor and Sky, who was still saying his prayer. He didn’t want to be rude and interrupt, especially if it might help Wild since Sky seemed to be the closest to Hylia of any of them, but he also just needed to  _ know. _

Suddenly, the doctor nodded and pulled away from Wild. Twilight held his breath as she turned around and…

And left the room.

He blinked at the door closing behind her, then stumbled to his feet to follow her out of the room. She was halfway down the hall already when he managed to catch up to her.

“Excuse me.” he said, and she paused to look back at him over her shoulder.

“Can I help you?” she asked curtly.

Twilight cleared his throat. “Um, I was wondering if you might be able to update me on the condition of my friend. I was aware he had a chest injury, but you seemed concerned about his head. Could you tell me why that might be?”

It was awkward as anything trying to be so formal and polite to the woman, but it seemed to pay off as she sighed and finally turned to face him fully, arms crossed tightly.

“He shouldn’t still be unconscious after resting for so long.” she informed him. “I’m worried there may have been some other injury we hadn’t noticed before. If he fell onto his back, it’s very likely that he hit his head upon impact as well.”

Twilight winced. She really didn’t sugarcoat her words at all.

“Of course, there’s not very much we can do about that until he actually wakes up.” she continued, tapping her foot irritatedly. “I would like to administer a potion, but without him being conscious to confirm the extent of his injuries and how much pain he’s actually in, I would be unable to give him a proper dosage.”

“I see.” Twilight mumbled. The woman looked at him for another moment before her gaze softened, just barely.

“He’ll be alright.” she told him. “From what I can tell, he’s a strong man. He’ll pull through.”

Unlike the captain’s words from before, when Wild was in such critical condition, the doctor’s words were relieving. She was an expert and, as far as Twilight could tell, not one to give out empty reassurances.

She was telling the truth.

“Thank you.” he told her. “That means a lot.”

She nodded, then turned on her heel and left without another word. Twilight watched her leave, not quite sure what to make of her.

He wasn’t sure if he needed a break or to stay by Wild’s side. On the one hand, he was at the champion’s side for hours losing track of time so a break was much needed. But on the other, if he left and Wild woke while he was gone he’d never forgive himself. So, with a defeated sigh he stepped outside into the hall, finding the others keeping themselves busy.

A shadow suddenly appeared. Twilight looked to find Zelda standing at the top of the staircase. The soft expression and warm aura around her said it all.  _ You need a break.  _ And she was right. Silently he went toward her as Zelda extended a hand. Twilight gladly took it. The princess led the hero to royal stables where Epona was currently being held. 

The stables were just off the southwestern grounds. Stable hands worked to make stallions and mares as comfortable as possible. Epona was no exception. She was to have the finest treatment after all. Her coat was sparkling and her main and tail were kempt. Hylia did she look beautiful! 

“How are you doing girl?” He cooed, moving to scratch her neck. “I see the staff took very good care of you! Only the best for my girl after all.” The hero pressed his forehead to her muzzle. 

“What else would you expect?” Zelda asked. “I only employ the finest hands here. This is the kingdom’s capital, after all. I won’t stand for mediocre service.”

Twilight rolled his eyes, but he was grinning.

“You royal types. So darn arrogant.” He ran a hand along Epona’s mane.

“I take that as a compliment.” Zelda sniffed. She walked over to the stall next to Epona’s, where Twilight spotted a lovely black mare with a white mane.

“And who’s that beauty?” Twilight asked. Zelda smiled at him before entering the stall and petting the horse.

“This is my darling girl, Rebecca.” She pressed her forehead to  _ Rebecca’s. _

“Rebecca?” Twilight blinked at her in disbelief. “You named your horse  _ Rebecca?” _

Zelda pulled away enough to glare at him. “Rebecca is a fine name.”

“Sure, but for a  _ horse? _ Why would you do that?”

Zelda scoffed. “Like you have any room to speak. What kind of a name is  _ Epona, _ huh?”

“I’ll have you know that Epona is a name that has been passed down through generations.” Twilight informed her, thinking back on how many of the others had their own steeds with the same name. “Epona here has quite a pedigree. It may have been lost to history, but it’s been confirmed by the owner of her some-great grandmother that they’re related. Naming her Epona is not only an honor, but a tradition. What’s your excuse?”

Zelda snorted. “A pedigree lost to history? Sounds like a poor excuse for a grasp at pride if I’ve ever heard one. I assume one of your companions just happens to have a horse named Epona as well?”

Twilight raised his head defensively. “He does, actually. And having met his horse myself, I would say it’s not too much of a stretch to claim that they’re related.”

“I see.” Zelda shook her head, then turned her sights back on  _ Rebecca. _ “As for my horse’s name, well…it’s a bit embarrassing.”

Twilight’s eyebrow raised, and remained high on his forehead when Zelda didn’t continue.

“And?” he prompted.

Zelda cleared her throat. “You see, as a little girl, I…went through a phase.”

“A phase?” Twilight asked, his other eyebrow rising to join the first. “What, did you dye your hair black and wear heavy eyeliner all the time?”

“I wasn’t _ emo, _ Twilight, I just didn’t like my name.” she said dryly. “I thought it didn’t fit me. It was my mother’s name, and her mother’s, and so on down the line. Can you imagine being named after eons of dead women?”

Twilight laughed as he finally realized what she was getting at. “You wanted to be named _ Rebecca?” _

“It’s a fine name!” Zelda repeated, indignant.

“Alright,” He threw his hands up. He moved for her saddle as her bridle only remained on. She probably wasn’t too comfortable with strangers taking it off and wondered where her master had been all this time. “Here we go girl, let’s saddle up.” 

“How about a ride?” The princess suggested. “To take your mind off things.” 

“That sounds amazing.” 

They headed out no sooner than the idea being suggested. The horses were urged into a steady trot so that they could enjoy the scenery as it went by. No words had to be said, only the sounds of nature were enough. Birds sang their daily tune as they flew high up, a chorus of such almost like a cathedral choir while a calm and cool breeze swept through brushing through their hair. 

_ So peaceful and calming.  _

“So,” Zelda asked as curiosity laced her tone. “What are these other Hyrule’s that you’ve seen?” 

Truth be told that he didn’t want to reveal too much. But then again he trusted her after fighting tooth and nail to save the kingdom and ultimately fight the King of Darkness together, there wasn’t a thing that they hid from each other. 

“Well, they’re unlike here.” He answered, looking down and away. “The layout, the people, and the culture, it’s all so… different.” He gave a sigh, describing this was rather hard. Zelda would have to see it for herself in order to fully comprehend. “I’ve seen what Hyrule has looked like before all of…” He gestured to everything around him. “This. It’s nothing but earth and sky meeting as one with plant life growing all around. No settlements, no people, and no castle.”

“That sounds incredible! And what of the others?” 

_ She really was one for knowledge. After all, she was the holder of the Triforce of Wisdom.  _

“One is hostile and everything is so different. Zelda you wouldn’t believe it if I went further into detail. I-”

He glanced at the right moment to find… Wild?! Awake and looking through bushes for something.

_ What the actual fuck? _

He… he was supposed to still be asleep. When the hell did he wake up?

“You…” Zelda prompted, waiting for him to continue. She turned to see what had caused him to trail off, following his gaze to find Wild crouched over in the bushes. It seemed as though he was looking for something.

Suddenly, Twilight dropped down from Epona’s back, making his way over to Wild’s hunched form. His arms crossed as he neared the younger hero, and Zelda followed quietly behind. This was sure to be interesting.

Once he was only a few feet away from Wild, Twilight came to a stop and cleared his throat. Wild jumped at the sudden noise, nearly tripping over his own two feet and sending himself to the ground for the second time that day. He managed to save himself at the last moment, though, righting himself with two hands pressed firmly against the side of the turret he had fallen from mere hours ago.

“Hey, Twi.” Wild said, feigning a casual demeanor as he leaned against the side of the turret. “Sup?”

“Sup.” Twilight repeated, incredulous.  _ “Sup? _ Wild, you have been unconscious for hours, way longer than the doctor predicted you should still have been asleep for, and while you’re  _ supposed  _ to be on bedrest on  _ her _ orders, here you are, picking through the weeds in the castle training grounds, alone, and all you have to say is  _ sup?” _

Wild shrugged, though his stiff posture belied his nonchalance. “I’m looking for something.”

Twilight stared at him for a full minute, and Zelda had to force herself to resist the urge to say something. They didn’t seem to know she was there yet, and she wanted to keep it that way.

“What on Hylia’s green earth could you  _ possibly _ need to find right now that would require you to get out of your bed that you should be  _ resting in _ rather than someone else who  _ isn’t _ under strict orders to stay in a hospital room?” Twilight finally asked once Wild began to squirm in place.

Wild mumbled something too quietly for Zelda or Twilight to hear.

“What was that?” Twilight asked, clearly not in the mood to deal with this crap.

“I lost the Sheikah Slate.” Wild repeated, defeated.

Everything froze for a solid second as the color drained from Twilight’s face and his blood began to boil. It took every ounce of strength to not lash out at the champion. Dusk once again held the urge to say something, choosing to stay out of it. 

“You did what?!” He hissed, eyes flashing gold once again. “How could you possibly lose something that is as important as that?” 

Wild was clearly ignoring him, instead choosing to search through the bushes. “Wild!” Twilight snapped again. He lifted the hero by the collar and forced Wild to look at him. “I asked you a question!”

“I don’t know,” Wild looked down and away.  _ How in the hell was he so nonchalant about this?  _ “It just did, probably slipped from my hands when I fell.”   
  
“That slate is your lifeline. You losing that is-” That’s when it clicked. “You were taking pictures again weren’t you?” Twilight ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “I can’t believe this.” 

“At least I’m looking for it! All I wanted to do was surprise Zel-”   
  
“Sh!” Twilight glanced between Wild and Zelda. His voice dropped to a whisper. “Don’t say that name around her. She doesn’t know about the other Zeldas.”

The princess had perked up upon hearing half of her name called. They weren’t talking about her were they? Her curious mind got the better of her and she urged Rebecca along, closing the distance between the two heroes and herself. 

“Alright,” She said, moving to separate them. “That’s enough.”

“Zelda, please!” Twilight tried to argue. “You can’t possibly-”

“Hush! I’m sure your friend here has some explaining to do and as to  _ why  _ he’s awake all of a sudden.” She motioned for Wild to climb onto her horse. “I’ll have a search party sent out to find the item you’re looking for.”

Twilight couldn’t believe this. Was the princess really taking Wild’s side over Twilight’s? 

“I can’t believe this.” Twilight said. “Are you really taking his side over mine?”

“I’m not taking sides.” Zelda told him. “This simply isn’t the time for this discussion. Now, why don’t you bring Epona back to the stables and take some time to cool off? You clearly still need it. I’ll take Wild here back to the hospital wing and make sure he’s taken care of—and that someone is posted to make sure he doesn’t leave.”

Twilight opened his mouth to argue further, but before he could get anything out, Zelda and Wild were riding away towards the castle. Twilight sighed. What a great day he was having.

He made his way back to Epona and got her set back up in the stables, making sure she was comfortable. He found some supplies and set to work on grooming her, if only to pass the time. It’s not like the royal castle would allow  _ any _ of their horses to look anything less than pristine, much less that of the hero who saved their whole kingdom and their princess directly, but after a ride like that there was still some work to be done. He slowly and methodically brushed out her fur, pulling any stray blades of grass and leaves from her mane and coat. He lost himself in the rhythmic action, only realizing just how long he’d been there when he looked up and found that the sun had gone down.

Since it was so late, he assumed that he had probably missed dinner. It hurt a little to think that none of the others had come to get him for their meal, but he told himself that Zelda had probably told them to stay away for the time being. It was probably for the best. He wasn’t so sure how he would react to company right now, given how short his temper had been all day.

He gave Epona a soft kiss on her forehead before leaving the stables to go get something from the kitchens. It may not be the gourmet meals of the princess’s personal chef, but it was still better than any inn or restaurant in the kingdom might have to offer.

It was a long, quiet walk, and Twilight used it to sort through some of the thoughts in his head. He really was on-edge that day, and while it made him uncomfortable to think that his behavior might not have been the best because of it, it was true. He had gotten mad with little reason and taken it out on everyone and everything around him, and it wasn’t fair. Especially since he wasn’t even mad at Wild or Time or Zelda or the doctor or any of them.

He was mad at himself.

He hadn’t been there when Wild had been hurt, hadn’t been able to do  _ anything _ for him afterwards, and the moment he had even the slightest chance of being useful, he broke apart in the princess’s arms. He shouldn’t have been acting that way, not when  _ Wild _ was the one who was hurting, who had nearly  _ died _ and it would have been  _ all Twilight’s fault _ and—

“Hey.” A voice broke through Twilight’s personal pity-party and he looked up to see Legend standing not too far down the hallway. “Can we talk?”

He blinked not once but twice. 

“Y-Yeah,” Twilight stammered. “About what?” 

“You know about what,” Legend crossed his arms. Right, the name didn’t need to be said. “I know you’re upset and mad and-”

“And that it’s my fault he could’ve died.”   
  
“No. Don’t you dare start with that. Twilight,” He took a breath, taking a moment to choose his next words carefully. “I know that silence, that self pity, the guilt. We all do. I know you’ve heard it from Time and the princess but his fall had nothing to do with you. He did this all on his own.” 

“And what do you know of his fall?” Twilight was growing both curious and increasingly upset again. “You weren’t  _ there  _ when it happened, nor were you the first person to be notified.” 

“No, but I was there when that guard came rushing by.”

There was a moment of silence between the two. He was right after all. Twilight was in a discussion with the princess while the others remained outside. He could only imagine the panic amongst the others once they found out. He could only imagine the guilt the others felt as they tried to stop him.  _ But not good enough.  _ This situation was draining for everyone. If anything Twilight just wanted to find out how Wild woke and was up and about so quickly. 

“Walk with me.” Legend said, abruptly turning and walking away. Twilight scrambled to keep up. “I know it’s a difficult thing to accept, but the fact of the matter is that you would have had no way of helping Wild even if you  _ were _ there when he fell. And I’m not saying that to be rude. There was literally nothing you could have done once he slipped.”

“You don’t know that.” Twilight argued weakly. Legend sent him a raised eyebrow and ignored that comment.

“You see, the thing about being a hero is that, sometimes, you fuck up. Actually, you fuck up pretty often. It’s just a fact of life. Nobody is perfect, least of all the people that are meant to protect you.”

“That’s a bit pessimistic.”

“Sue me.” Legend sighed. “But you’re missing the point.”

“No, no, I get it. I’m a flawed person who fucks up all the time.” Twilight turned to head the other way down the hall. Legend stopped him mid-step by grabbing his arm.

“No.” Twilight tried to shake off his hand, but his grip was strong. “Twilight. Listen to me.”

Legend moved closer so that his face was directly in front of Twilight’s and he had no choice but to maintain eye contact.

“There. Was. Nothing. You. Could. Have. Done.” Legend said, very slowly. “Nothing. Zip. Nada. Diddly fucking squat. Whether you were there on the roof with him, standing underneath that tower, in the throne room, or on Death  _ fucking _ Mountain, it wouldn’t have mattered. He would have still fallen and still gotten hurt and still lived anyway because Wild? He is the most resilient person I know. He can bounce back from  _ anything _ and still come out on top. One little fall isn’t going to change that. And  _ you _ aren’t going to change that one little fall, especially not  _ after _ it fucking happened. Because that’s the thing about destiny. It happens whether you want it or not. Life goes on. Don’t like it? Fuck you. Deal with it. There’s nothing you can do to stop it.”

Legend, seemingly finished with his tirade, took a step back, and Twilight felt like he could finally breathe again. That was…a lot all at once.

“So stop beating yourself up over it. What’s done is done. The most you can do is be there to help if things go bad in the future.” Legend finished. Then, he reached over and gave Twilight an awkward pat on the shoulder. “Good talk.”

With that, he walked around Twilight, going back the way they came. Twilight stared after him as he left.

Oddly enough, he actually felt a little better after that. Not as angry and confused. Leave it to Legend, the most spiteful and bitter of their group, to make Twilight calm down and stop being so spiteful and bitter himself. Maybe there was more to their resident grump than he had originally thought.

He made a mental note to talk to Legend more often. He seemed pretty alright, even if he gave weird, fatalistic pep talks to try and make people feel better. It was the thought that counted.

With that little pep talk in mind, Twilight made his way down to the hospital wing. Now he needed to talk to Wild. A small group of guards marched past Twilight along the way.  _ Ah, the search party,  _ He thought.  _ Do they even know what they’re looking for?  _ He prayed that they did because without that slate, Wild was nothing. That contained everything he needed, his memories, pictures, and items.    
  
_ Stop thinking about that slate for one fucking minute, Twilight.  _ He had to try and reassure himself.  _ It’s going to be found and returned.  _ But the princess's guard wasn’t  _ exactly  _ the best in the kingdom, he knew that from experience during his adventure in Telma’s bar. Although, they could have possibly improved as time had passed.  _ Doubt it.  _ Cowards they were, ran out on Telma and Ilia when Ralis had to be transported to Kakariko in order to save his life. 

Upon reaching the hospital wing once again, Twilight headed straight to Wild’s room. There the doctor was assessing the champion as he sat against the headboard. Twilight could tell that Wild was answering various questions that the doctor was giving. In Wild’s hands sat a red potion, one that he was slowly sipping. In a more dire situation that would be shoved down his throat without any reason. But that wasn’t the case this time around.  _ Thank Hylia.  _ Time was in the room as well standing in the corner. Twilight assumed that he didn’t want to interrupt the examination. 

“It’s a miracle that you’re so attentive and active,” She mentioned. “Especially after taking such a hard fall.” 

“I’ve got a thick skull,” Wild laughed as he waved off the doctor. “Nothing can stop me.”

“That’s no kidding,” Twilight replied, his voice contained a slight laugh. 

Everyone’s attention turned to Twilight. Time gave a smile as he moved to his protege. “Well,” Twilight asked. “How is he?”   
  
“He seems perfectly fine!” She responded, checking behind his head once more. “Although I recommend staying here for a couple more days just in case. He’s got a concussion, it’s not too serious but it should still be monitored.” 

Twilight nodded, and the doctor finished up her examination. She ended it off with a stern warning to Wild not to overwork himself and a plea to Time and Twilight to make sure he did so. They all agreed, with varying levels of reluctance, and she left them to their own devices.

There was an awkward silence for a few moments. Well, awkward for Twilight and Wild. Time could sense the tension, but he wasn’t sure what exactly had happened between the two of them, and so he stayed politely quiet in his corner.

Eventually, Twilight made the first move.

“I’m sorry.” he said, and it had to mean something that Wild looked surprised at the words coming from his mouth. Had he never apologized to Wild before when he did something wrong? Did he not do it properly, or not enough? Just how many ways had he failed his mentee in?

He mentally shook his head. Now was not the time.

After he finally got over his surprise, Wild smiled sheepishly at Twilight. “It’s alright.” he assured Twilight. “You were upset. I get it.”

Now Twilight actually shook his head. “No. I don’t get to be let off that easy.”

“Twi—”

“Let me speak.” Twilight interrupted. “Please.”

Wild pursed his lips, but nodded his assent. Twilight cleared his throat and continued.

“I should not have behaved the way I have been over this past day.” The words felt ugly and stilted, but it was the only way he knew to get them out. “I was angry and upset and scared half to death and I took it all out on you, and I’m sorry.”

Wild opened his mouth to speak, but Twilight didn’t stop.

“I wasn’t angry at you. I could  _ never _ be angry at you. I was…I was angry at myself, that I’d let you get hurt when I’m the one who’s supposed to be watching over you, who’s supposed to always be there when you fall. But I wasn’t, today.” He snorted without humor. “Literally.”

“Twi…” Wild said, but Twilight  _ didn’t stop. _

“I was just really scared, when I learned what happened. I heard that you weren’t breathing, and I thought…I thought that you were dead.” Twilight wiped a stray tear from his cheek, feeling his breathing start to pick up along with his emotions. “I thought I had  _ lost you, _ and I  _ wasn’t there. _ I have never felt more petrified in my life than I felt thinking that I had allowed you to die in a place I had thought you would be safe when I hadn’t even been there to  _ try _ to stop it. But then you were alive, and it should have been fine, but I just couldn’t let go of that guilt and I got so  _ angry, _ angry that I wasn’t there, angry that I couldn’t do anything to help you, angry that you got hurt in the first place, angry that I was scared, angry that I was angry. And I took it out on you, and on the others, and on Zelda, and I am  _ so sorry.” _ A sob escaped his throat. “I’m  _ so sorry.” _

Wild threw his blankets off at that, jumping out of bed and tackling Twilight in a hug that he definitely should not be giving so soon after receiving a chest injury, but Twilight couldn’t find it in himself to stop it. He just hugged Wild right back, ignoring the wetness slowly staining his shirt as tears of his own fell freely from his eyes.

“It’s okay.” Wild choked out. “It’s  _ okay,  _ Twi. I’m fine. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Twilight laughed wetly. “But I did.”

“No.” Wild squeezed him just a little bit tighter. “Hylia, Twi,  _ no. _ You have never failed me, not once in your entire life. I was being stupid and taking risks that I shouldn’t have been taking, and I probably haven’t learned my lesson, but at least I’m not going to go around climbing random castle turrets anymore.”

Twilight laughed again, this time more genuinely. “You’re such a gremlin.” he muttered into Wild’s messy hair.

“And you love me for it.” Wild sassed.

Twilight just sighed. He couldn’t deny it.

He looked up to see if Time was still in the room and found that his own mentor had left sometime during their heart-to-heart. That was probably for the best. He didn’t think he could live with the embarrassment that not only his mentee but his mentor as well would see him break down crying like this.

He placed a hand on the back of Wild’s head, cradling him just a little bit closer.

“I will always be there.” he promised Wild. “And if I’m not, I will do everything in my power to make it better when I find you. Because I  _ will _ find you. Always.”

Wild pulled out of the hug, smiling at him. “I know you will.”

He punched Twilight lightly on the arm. “We’re family, you know.” he said. “Family can never be broken apart. Not by anything. Not ever.”

Twilight smiled back at him.

“Family.” he said. A promise.

“Family.” Wild echoed.

Family. Twilight thought he could manage that.

~~

“So.” Wild said a few minutes later, as he and Twilight were sitting side-by-side in Wild’s hospital bed. “That whole finding me no matter what thing. That wouldn’t happen to apply to the Slate, too, would it?”

Twilight rolled his eyes, but he was smiling.

“No, Wild.” he said. “No it does not.”

Wild groaned, and Twilight’s grin shifted to a smirk. The search party would (probably) find the Slate eventually. He figured Wild could live without it for at least a few more hours.

As for right now, well…he was content to just sit with Wild—with his  _ family— _ and look forward to a better and brighter tomorrow.


End file.
